


Home of the Brave

by runningwyld



Series: It's About Damn Time [4]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Attempted Kidnapping, BAMF Grace, Established Relationship, Family, Fluff and Angst, Fluffy Ending, Hurt Grace Williams, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-29
Updated: 2018-04-29
Packaged: 2019-04-29 21:03:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14481126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/runningwyld/pseuds/runningwyld
Summary: “This is Headmaster Stevens at Leeward Academy.  I’m afraid there’s been something of an accident and Grace and Charles have both been taken to Queens Medical Center.” Someone tries to kidnapped Charlie's friend in front of the school.  Charlie and Grace intervene and are both injured in the process (not seriously, I promise).   "I don’t know if I could have gotten through today with my sanity intact without you, Steve.”





	Home of the Brave

 

“Steve! Where’s Danny?”  Steve was immediately pulled from his thoughts when Kono ran into his office waving a cellphone in the air. He’d been thinking, daydreaming really, about the life he and Danny were building together. They’d been together for six months, living together for three. Initially, they worried that working and living together, essentially being together 24/7, would take a toll on their relationship.  While there had been some adjustments and a few bumps along the road, all in all, things were going well. They learned that a little time apart each day was really all it took to keep them from killing each other. They had mutually agreed to partner up with other members of the team a little more often. That was a testament to the trust they both had in Chin, Kono, and Lou to watch the other’s back. Besides splitting up on the job occasionally, Steve still swam alone most mornings and Danny still went to the boxing gym a few days a week. Those few hours apart seemed to be enough to keep their relationship balanced. The kids had adjusted well too. Charlie loved his new room and spending more time with his Uncle Steve.  Grace, who had been Steve and Danny’s biggest supporter from the start, was thrilled with the turn in their relationship.  Sometimes Steve thought she was more thrilled with having a private beach to invite her friends to hangout on, but he knew that was not really true. More than anything, Grace was happy that he and Danny were happy, and for her, the fact that they found that happiness with each other was even better.

“He ran downstairs to speak to Duke.  He’s been promising Charlie a ride in a real police car. Apparently the Camaro doesn’t count.”

“Here, you better take this call.” She handed him the phone.  “It’s the kids’ school and it sounded like an emergency.”

For a moment Steve didn’t understand why the school would be calling Kono’s cellphone, but he realized Danny must have forgotten his phone when he went downstairs and Kono must have answered it when she saw who was calling.  Steve took the offered device and put it to his ear.  “Hello?”

“ _Detective Williams_ ,” before Steve could explain that he was not, in fact, Detective Williams the voice continued, “ _This is Headmaster Stevens at Leeward Academy.  I’m afraid there’s been something of an accident and Grace and Charles have both been taken to Queens Medical Center._ ”

“What? Are they alright? How seriously are they injured?”  Steve immediately panicked. He stood up from his desk so quickly his chair went flying backwards.  He had to find Danny and get to the children ASAP.

“ _Charles only had minor injuries, a few scrapes and bruises.  He appeared to be more scared than anything, but Grace insisted he stay with her, so everyone thought it best for him to go along with her to the hospital. Grace’s injuries are a little more serious, but I don’t know the full extent. She was conscious when they put her in the ambulance, but it appeared she had quite a few lacerations and abrasions and possibly a broken arm._ ”

Steve, who had already left his office in search of Danny, motioned to Kono and Chin to follow him. As the two had been anxiously listening to Steve’s side of the conversation, they immediately fell in behind him as he ran down the stairs to the first floor. “We’re heading out now. We’ll be at the hospital in 15 minutes.  Now tell me what the hell happened to Grace and Charlie? What sort of school are you running where both my kids end up in the hospital?”  Once they reached the first floor, Steve covered the phone’s mic with his thumb and told the cousins, “Find Danny. Now.”

“ _I don’t know the full details yet, Detective, as I didn’t see the incident happen.  It appears that following the final bell Grace was walking from the high school entrance to elementary school entrance to meet Charles.  Witnesses say he was sitting on the front steps with his friend David Kekoa and when they saw her they got up and started walking down the sidewalk towards her. A man got out of a van that had been parked nearby and tried to pull the Kekoa boy into the back. Charles grabbed David’s arm and tried to pull him away, but of course he wasn’t strong enough. The man was able to push Charles away and he fell. That’s when he was injured. The man threw David into the back of the van and got into the driver’s seat and tried to drive off.  Grace made it to the van and was able to get the back door open and pull David out to safety, but when the van took off she somehow got caught and was dragged a short distance before falling. You should be very proud of your children, Detective; they very possibly saved David Kekoa’s life with their actions.”_

Steve, who had slid down the wall to the floor at some point during the story, closed his eyes and took a shaky breath before replying.  “Yes, sir, I’m always proud of Grace and Charlie. Now, while my partner and I go to the hospital, I’m going to send the rest of my team to the school to interview you and everyone else who was there when this happened. I expect your full cooperation because believe me when I tell you I intend to find the bastard who did this.  He will not get an opportunity to hurt another child.”

_“I don’t doubt that at all, Detective.  Leeward Academy will fully cooperate with the investigation.  Please tell Grace and Charles that we are all thinking about them and wish them a quick recovery.”_

Steve saw Danny running toward him with panic in his eyes.  Chin, Kono, and Duke were close on his heels.  “I’ll tell them. Goodbye, sir.” Steve hung up and stuck the phone his pocket.  He made it back to his feet just as Danny reached him.

“Steve, what’s going on?  Kono said the school called, are Grace and Charlie okay?”  Danny gripped Steve’s upper arms so hard he was sure there would be bruises.  He did his best to reassure his partner, which was difficult when he was far from calm himself.

“They’ll be fine, Danny, I promise. There was an incident at school, but it doesn’t sound too serious. The headmaster said Charlie had some scrapes and bruises and Grace may have a broken arm.”

“What?! How did they get hurt?  What happened?” Steve could see the terror and disbelief rising in Danny’s eyes.

He reached up and pried one of Danny’s hands from his arm before giving it a tight squeeze that he hoped was reassuring. “Come on, let’s get to the hospital. I’ll tell you what I know on the way.”  He turned to the other three people standing there with anxious faces and motioned for them to follow.  “Chin, Kono, go to Leeward Academy, speak to Headmaster Stevens, he’ll fill you in. Call Lou to meet you there. And, call Jerry, we need him to pull traffic cam and surveillance footage from in front of the school.  Duke, I’ll need you and HPD to assist in this investigation.”

“Of course, Commander, whatever you need.” Duke immediately agreed without knowing what the investigation was even about except that it had something to do with Grace and Charlie. Steve knew that was enough to get Duke’s full cooperation, no questions asked.

Danny stopped as they exited the Palace and turned to his partner. “Steve, what investigation?  What’s going on? What happened to my kids?” 

After motioning for Chin, Kono, and Duke to go, Steve took Danny by the shoulders and looked directly in his eyes.  “Danny, Grace and Charlie will be fine, now please get in the car and I’ll tell you everything I know.  We need to get to the hospital.”

For a moment, Steve thought Danny would protest, but instead, he ran around the front of the car and climbed into the passenger seat. Steve got behind the wheel and took off. He relayed everything he knew about the situation while swerving in and out of traffic and not once did Danny comment on his driving. When Steve was finished, he took his eyes off the road long enough to glance over at his partner.  Danny’s jaw was clenched, his hands were tightly fisted on his thighs, and he was staring straight ahead, although Steve knew he wasn’t seeing the road. A still and silent Danny was very unnerving and did not bode well for the person who had hurt his children. “That fucking bastard is not going to get away with this, Steve.”

“He won’t, Danny. I promise.  But, for now, Chin, Kono, and the others can handle it.  We need to make sure Charlie and Gracie are okay.” Steve reached over and gave Danny’s clenched hand a squeeze before returning his own hand to the steering wheel so he could pass several more cars.

“You’re right.  My god, Steve, I cannot believe this.  If they are seriously injured, I don’t know what I’ll do?” He ran a shaking hand through his hair to the back of his neck.

“You’ll take care of them, be there for them, nurse them back to health, and I’ll be there with you the whole time. I love you and I those kids, Danny.  I hate that they were hurt, but damn I’m proud of them.” 

Danny finally looked over at Steve. “It sounds like they saved Davey Kekoa from being kidnapped or worse.  Damn, they’re something.” A small smile briefly appeared on Danny’s face before his lips tightened with worry once again.

“Those are two bad-ass kids you’ve got there, Danny.  Maybe they’ll be Five-0 one day.” He knew that statement would not go over well, but he hoped it would have its intended effect of distracting Danny for a moment.

“Hell no, they’re going to be teachers, or doctors, or something else equally safe.”  Danny glanced back at the road.  “Can’t you go any faster?”

“Are you seriously asking me to drive faster?  I wish I had a witness.” He glanced at his partner again, “Danny, you know I’m going as fast as I possibly can. We’ll be there in less than two minutes.” He passed three more cars and a bus.

Danny sighed.  “I know.  I just hate that they are at the hospital without me. Without  us.  They must be scared to death, especially Charlie.  He’s spent too much time in the hospital as it is.”

“They have each other. They’ll be okay until we get there.”  Steve took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, “Danny, I hate to say this, but you’re going to have to call Rachel.”  The kids had been staying with Steve and Danny while Rachael was in England visiting family.  She wasn’t due home for another week.

“Oh god, she’s going to freak and somehow this is going to all be my fault.”  Danny reached for his phone, but when he couldn’t find it, Steve pulled it from his back pocket and held it out.  Danny looked at him strangely but took the phone without commenting.  He stared at it a few seconds before putting it in the clip at his waist.  “It’s the middle of the night in England.  Besides, I think it would be better to wait until we’ve seen Grace and Charlie so I can tell her what their injuries actually are.”

“Right, good idea.” Just then, Steve turned into the hospital’s entrance and pulled to a screeching halt in front of the doors to the emergency department.  Danny was out of the car before Steve even had the keys out of the ignition. He climbed out and caught up with his partner just as Danny was running through the automatic doors.  They immediately headed to the front desk.

“I am Detective Danny Williams.  My children, Grace and Charlie Williams, were brought here by ambulance from Leeward Academy, where are they? Are they okay?” 

The woman at the desk was clearly about to say something, but the expressions on Steve and Danny’s faces must have caused her to change her mind because she turned to her computer and pressed a few keys. “Williams?  Yes, sir.  They are being evaluated.  If you’ll just show me some identification, I’ll have someone come and take you back shortly.” 

Danny pulled out his ID and after glancing at it, the woman, Nancy according to her name tag, picked up the phone.  After putting down the receiver, she said, “A nurse will be right out.”  She handed Danny a clipboard, “Please fill out this paperwork.  You’ll need to complete a set for each child.” She looked at Steve. “Only immediate family is allowed in the exam rooms.”

Before Steve could respond, Danny beat him to it.  “He’s their step-father.  They’ll want to see him.”

She looked at Steve skeptically before turning her gaze back to Danny. “If you insist.”

“Yes, Nancy, I do insist.”

“Danny,” Steve, said quietly.  He loved Grace and Charlie, and even though he wasn’t their father, or even their step-father, he needed to see for himself that they were okay.

“Steve, you are family, Grace and Charlie will want to see you.”  Danny’s tone and expression told Steve that there was not going to be a discussion. 

“Thank you,” he said quietly.  The youngest, most vulnerable members of their family had been hurt, and he knew seeing with this own eyes that they were okay was the only thing that would ease the ache in his chest and the gnawing in his gut.

At that moment a petite brunette in her early 30s walked up to them.  “Detective Williams?”

Danny obviously recognized the woman.  “Miss Thomas, are Grace and Charlie okay?  Have you seen them?”

“Not since they were put in the ambulance.  They wouldn’t let me see them since I’m not a relative.  I followed the ambulance to the hospital because I didn’t want them to be alone even if all I could do was sit in the waiting room.”

“Thank you, Miss Thomas, I really appreciate that.”  Danny wrapped a hand around Steve’s arm and gestured to the brunette with the other hand.  “Steve, Miss Thomas is Charlie’s teacher.  Miss Thomas, Commander Steve McGarrett, my partner.”

“Nice to meet you Commander, I’ve heard a lot about you from Charlie.  I just wish we were meeting under different circumstances.”

“Miss Thomas,” Steve nodded in acknowledgment. “Charlie speaks very highly of you. In fact, I think he may have a little crush.”  She blushed at his comment.

“Miss Thomas, how is David Kekoa?” Danny asked, “Was he injured?”

“No more than a skinned knee from when he jumped out of the van.  He was very lucky Grace was there.”

Before either of them could grill the woman about what happened with the children, a nurse arrived and led them back to an examination room.  When she pulled back the curtain, Steve barely had time to register Grace lying on the gurney before Charlie, who was sitting in a chair next to her, yelled out, “Danno! Uncle Steve!  Someone tried to snatch Davey. Grace and me got hurt.  Grace is hurt worse than me, but we both got to ride in the ambulance. See my Band-Aids? You’re going to make them fix Grace, aren’t you?”  Charlie had white gauze bandages on both knees and Band-Aids on the heels of both hands. Danny immediately picked Charlie up, hugged him, and placed a kiss on his head, before moving him to his hip.  Steve reached out and ruffled the boy’s hair before cupping his cheek for a moment.

“We’re here now, Charlie, everything is going to be fine. I promise.”  Danny kissed his son’s head before turning his attention to Grace. “Gracie, how are you, monkey?” He gripped the railing on the side of the gurney so tightly with his free hand that his knuckles turned white.

“Dad, I’m so glad you’re here. My arm hurts really bad. The doctor thinks it’s broken, but they wouldn’t do an x-ray until you got here to give them permission. Good thing I wasn’t bleeding to death or something. I have a pretty major case of road rash too, where that idiot dragged me. It stings a lot.” She glanced at Steve, “Hi, Uncle Steve. I’m glad you’re here too.”

“Hi, Grace. I’m sorry you’re in pain, but I’m glad you’re safe.  You two gave me and Danno quite a scare.” Steve did a quick survey of Grace’s visible injuries. Her left leg, and to a lesser extent her right, was scraped raw and she was holding her right arm in a strange position. He could tell it was broken even without x-rays, but she was alive and alert and he clung to that. 

Danny looked down at his son, “Charlie, will you go to Uncle Steve for a minute so I can hug your sister.”  He nodded and held his arms out.  Steve immediately took him and wrapped him in a hug before moving him to his hip as Danny had done.  He placed his free hand on Danny’s shoulder just to have that small connection and provide a bit of comfort.

Danny leaned in and very carefully hugged Grace without jostling her arm. Grace turned worried eyes clouded with pain towards him. “Is Davey okay, Dad?”

Danny was quick to reassure his daughter. “He’s fine, Gracie, nothing worse than a skinned knee thanks to you and Charlie here.  You saved him. I am so proud of you.”

Steve could see the relief in Grace’s eyes, “I’m glad he’s okay.  I was so scared when I saw what was happening, but I really didn’t do anything that anybody else wouldn’t have done.”

“About that, we disagree, but we’ll talk about it later when you’re feeling better.  For now, just close your eyes and take slow breaths while I find a doctor.”  Danny reached out and smoothed Grace’s hair out of her eyes.

“Wait, have they caught the guy yet?”

“Not yet, but Five-0 and HPD are on it.  They’ll find him.” He brushed a hand across her head once more. “Now rest.”

“Okay.” Her response was almost inaudible. 

Danny leaned forward and gave her a kiss.  “I love you, Monkey. You're going to be fine.”

Danny turned and looked at Steve with a sad smile. Steve pulled him into a brief three-way hug with Charlie between them.  “Danny, why don’t you and Charlie sit down next to Grace while I go find a doctor?  You can fill out that paperwork.”  He nodded towards the clipboard his partner had placed on the stand next to the gurney when they first entered.  He knew what Danny needed most right now was to be with his children and completing paperwork was as good of an excuse as any.

Danny nodded, “Yeah, okay. Thanks.”  He reluctantly pulled out of Steve’s embrace and sank down onto the chair. Steve placed Charlie in his lap and then kissed them both on the check before turning to leave. 

“I’ll be right back.” True to his word, it wasn’t long before Steve returned.  He was accompanied by a woman wearing a white doctor’s coat. She appeared to be around 40, small and slim with tired brown eyes behind a pair of tortoise-shell glasses.  “Danny, this is Dr. Hayes.  Doctor, this is Detective Danny Williams, Grace and Charlie’s father.”

Danny immediately stood up and set Charlie in the chair before addressing the newcomer. “Doctor, how’s my daughter?”

“Detective Williams, good, I’m glad you’re here.  It appears that Grace has a broken wrist, but I’ll need your consent to take some x-rays to confirm and to see exactly what we’re dealing with. As you probably noticed, she also has a considerable number of scrapes, cuts, and abrasions from being dragged.  Those look worse than they are, although they will need to be thoroughly cleaned to remove any dirt or debris and to prevent infection.”

The road rash does look pretty bad, but I assume that those injuries are mostly superficial,” Steve interjected.

“That's right.  She might come away with a few scars, but nothing too significant. Now, about those x-rays….”

“Of course, do whatever you need to do to help Grace.  But, can’t you give her something for the pain first?”  Danny glanced back at Grace and Steve could see the concern in his eyes.  Grace was still lying with her eyes closed, but Steve could see the pain etched on her face and knew she was awake.  He reached out and put an arm around Danny’s shoulders.  He wasn’t sure if it was more for himself or for Danny, but he needed that connection.  Danny must have needed it too because he immediately leaned into Steve’s side.

“Yes, I’ll order something right away. I was just waiting for parental consent. Is that the admissions paperwork?” She nodded towards the clipboard Danny was holding.

“Yes.  I just completed Grace’s.  I’ll get to Charlie’s next.” Danny held out the clipboard.

The doctor took it, “Good, I’ll give this to the nurse so the information can be entered in the computer. Young Charlie here is fine except for a couple of badly scraped knees and some minor abrasions on his palms.  Just keep them clean and apply antibiotic ointment and he’ll be fine. ” 

They all looked over at Charlie who appeared to be absorbed in the game he was playing on Danny’s phone.  The kid was something, Steve thought, and his heart clenched thinking about what he and his sister had been through and how much worse it could have been. 

Once they took Grace for x-rays, Steve stepped out in the hall to call and check in with the team. After interviewing all the witness, plus David Kekoa’s parents, they had already identified a suspect, Jason Cumberland. David’s father, Honi Kekoa, was a partner in a law firm that specialized in family law. Cumberland was the ex-husband of a client and had recently been denied visitation with the couple’s two young children after evidence of physical abuse, as well as drug and alcohol abuse, was presented to the court.  Cumberland had promised payback and had threatened Honi’s family. 

Surveillance cameras in front of the school captured the attempted kidnapping.  Between that footage and video from various traffic cameras, Jerry was able to trace the van used in the attempted abduction back to Cumberland’s uncle.  With a little enhancement, Honi was also able to identify the person on the video as Cumberland.  

Steve was relieved a suspect had been identified so quickly.  The last thing he wanted was for his family, not to mention the Kekoas, to live in fear that the kidnapper was still out there waiting for the chance to try again.  As much as Steve would have liked to be the one to take Cumberland down, he knew his place right now was with Danny, Grace, and Charlie.  The past six months had definitely changed him.  Before, he would have insisted on being the first one through the door to arrest Cumberland – maybe take that opportunity to give him a little taste of his own medicine. Now though, Steve didn’t even consider leaving the hospital to be in on the arrest.  Being with his family was more important.  Besides, he knew the rest of the team had their backs and would see to it that Cumberland was arrested and paid for what he had done. 

After disconnecting his call with Chin, Steve returned to the exam room to be with Danny and Charlie while they waited for Grace to be brought back from radiology.  That was exactly where he needed to be.

*************

Four hours later they were home and the kids were in their pajamas, ensconced on the couch watching a movie and eating left-over homemade mac-and-cheese. Grace had sustained a displaced compound fracture to the right wrist and now sported a purple cast up to her elbow.  The abrasions on her legs had been cleaned, treated, and bandaged. She would need to undergo wound care for at least 10 days, but luckily no skin grafts would be necessary. 

Once the children were settled, Danny retreated to the privacy of his and Steve’s bedroom to call Rachel, while Steve went out to the lanai to call Chin for an update on the investigation. 

“Chin, what’s happening? Have you tracked down Cumberland yet?”  Steve paced back and forth, but stayed close to the house so he could keep an eye on Grace and Charlie through the windows.

“ _Steve, I was just about to call you.”_ Chin sounded more animated than usual. _“We just arrested Cumberland less than five minutes ago.  He was hiding out in his sister’s garage.”_ Steve could hear sirens coming across the line.

“That’s great news, Chin.  How’d it go, was anybody hurt?”  Long experience had taught Steve that just like an animal, when a suspect was cornered, he was more likely to attack.

 _“Well, Cumberland may have resisted a bit, so he may be sporting a black eye and a few bruised ribs, but otherwise the arrest went smoothly.”_ Steve could hear the satisfaction in Chin’s voice.

“Good.  Book him and let him stew for the night.  Danny and I will be in tomorrow to interview him.” 

_“Interview him. Right, not a problem, we’ll handle things tonight.”_

“Thanks, Chin. Tell Kono, Jerry, Lou, and everybody thanks too.” He glanced through the window and saw his partner place his laptop on the coffee table.  “Danny and I will have everyone over for a cook-out soon to show our appreciation.”

_“Sounds great.  I’ll pass it along.  Speaking of appreciation, David Kekoa’s parents would like to come by the house tomorrow to see Grace and Charlie and express their appreciation for what they did.  Honi Kekoa said he has no doubts that Cumberland was capable of killing David for revenge.  Those are a couple of brave kids you and Danny have there.  It must run in the family.”_

“They’re pretty special alright.  I can’t take any credit, but they definitely take after Danny.  Let me check with him about the Kekoas coming by and see if he thinks Grace and Charlie are up to it.  I’ll give you a call.”

_“Sounds good.  Mr. Kekoa is meeting us down at HPD to identify Cumberland, I’ll let him know. Now, go get back to your family.  We’ve got you and Danny covered. Tell Grace and Charlie to get well soon.”_

“Will do. Thanks again, Chin.  We’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

*****************

When Steve went back inside, his laptop was open on the coffee table and Charlie and Grace were Skyping with Rachel.  He took that as a good sign and went to the kitchen in search of Danny.  He found him aggressively stacking dishes in the dishwasher.  Steve walked up behind him and ran a hand up and down between his shoulder blades. He could feel the tension Danny was carrying in the tightness of his muscles.

“Hey, good news, they just arrested Cumberland.”  Steve felt Danny’s body sag as if all the tension in his body suddenly drained out. He then reached out and placed both hands on the edge of the sink and took several deep breaths.  Steve stood behind him and continued to run his hand up and down Danny’s back soothingly.  “It’s over Danny. Grace and Charlie are safe.  From what Chin said they already have enough evidence against Cumberland to send him up for at least 20 years.”

Danny nodded and after a few more seconds, he stood up and turned to Steve.  “I want to see him.”

“Now, Danny.”  The look he saw in Danny’s eyes was one he had hoped to never see again.  The last time he saw it, Danny had just realized Marco Reyes had killed his brother and was threatening Grace.  What happened after that still haunted Danny.  In the few months they’d been sharing a bed, he had been awakened more than once to Danny’s nightmares, nightmares that more times than not had to do with Matt and Reyes.  Steve regretted not being the one to pull the trigger.  Sure, Danny would have been pissed at the time, but he would have gotten over it and his conscience wouldn’t still be eating him up.

“Don’t ‘now, Danny,’ me, Steven. I want to confront the bastard who hurt my kids.”

“Okay, settle down, I already told Chin we’d be in to interview him in the morning.  But, Danny, as much as I want to help you beat the shit out of this guy, I want him to be the one going to prison, not you.  We can’t do anything to jeopardize the case.  So promise me you won’t do anything stupid.”

Dany paced around the kitchen, gesticulating wildly, as he looked at Steve incredulously. “Are you, Steven – hang-a-suspect-off-the-side-of-a-building – McGarrett, seriously telling me to go easy on a suspect and not do anything rash? Seriously? ”

Steve knew he had to defuse Danny for his own sake.  “It’s just, this guy hurt Grace and Charlie, Danny. I want to kill him, so I know you feel the same way.  You know as well as I do that when it’s this personal, it’s easy to cross that line.  Those kids in there need you, Danny.  I need you.  What we do not need is you in jail for killing this worthless piece of shit.  But, just as importantly, I don’t want you having to live with one more thing on your conscience that will keep you up at night.”

Danny closed his eyes and took several deliberate breaths. Steve could almost see him counting to 10 as he let the breaths out.  After at least five deep inhales and slow exhales, Danny finally opened his eyes and nodded.  “You’re right.  You’re right.  I do want to see this guy, put a face on the monster, but maybe it would be best if we leave the interrogation to Chin and Kono … or Lou.  Lou has kids, so he’ll understand.”

Steve let out the breath he didn’t even know he had been holding. “Yeah, I think that’s a real good decision.” Steve opened his arms and Danny walked straight into them. The hug was tight and lasted several minutes as they swayed back and forth.  Eventually, Steve relaxed his hold slightly and looked down at Danny.

“How’d the call with Rachel go?”

Danny let out a humorless laugh.  “About like I expected, she immediately blamed me and my job for putting the kids in danger.  When I told her it had nothing to do with me, you, or Five-0, that they got hurting saving Davey Kekoa from being kidnapped, she blamed us for setting a bad example.”

“Setting a bad example? Really? She said that?”  It was Steve’s turn to pace and wave his arms. “How exactly is helping innocent victims, serving our county and the people of Hawaii, setting a bad example?” Steve stopped pacing, stood with his hands on his hips and waited for Danny to explain his ex-wife’s allegation.

“Apparently, most kids whose fathers are not cops, would not have tried to prevent another child from being abducted; and therefore, would not have been injured.”

Steve threw his hands up. “Would not have tried … that’s ridiculous. Charlie and Grace probably saved that boy’s life.  Rachel should be proud of them.  I sure as hell am.”

“She will be, eventually anyway.  But, she is a mother, so the fact that her children were in danger and got hurt blotted out any rational thought. Once I suggested setting up a Skype call so she could see for herself that they were okay, she calmed down and realized she was being unreasonable.  Speaking of the Skype call, they’ve been talking for half an hour and its late, I better go in and have them wrap it up so Grace and Charlie can get to bed.  Tomorrow’s Friday so I’m going to keep then out of school, let them sleep in.  Although, I doubt Grace will get much sleep tonight, she’s bound to be hurting.”

“I hate that she’s in pain.”  Steve rubbed his chest.  “Is this what it feels like to be a parent?  When your kid hurts, your chest aches?”

Danny walked over and gave Steve a sweet kiss. “Yeah, that about sums it up. Are you having second thoughts?”

“About us?  Hell, no.  I’m just surprised, that’s all.  I mean I already loved Grace and Charlie, but getting to know them even better the last few months …  I don’t know, today when I got the call from the school and then seeing them in the hospital, it was like they were my own kids.  If what you felt today is worse than what I felt, I think I’m glad I don’t have kids of my own.  If I did, I’d be a basket case.”

Danny laughed, genuinely this time. “Welcome to my world, babe.  Welcome to my world.”

*********************

They left Grace on the couch while they went to put Charlie to bed.  The five-year-old had had quite a day and while he insisted he wasn’t tired, the adults knew he would be asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. Steve stood leaning against the doorjamb as Danny smoothed the blankets around Charlie.  Danny then sat down on the edge of the bed beside his son and motioned Steve over. Steve, who had been watching the heart-warming tableau in front of him, immediately straighten from his slouch and walked over to the bed.

“C’mere, Uncle Steve.” Charlie patted the empty space beside him. “I want you and Danno to both sit with me while I go to sleep, okay?” Tucked into bed wearing his firetruck pajamas, Charlie looked every bit the little boy he was. 

“Sure thing, buddy.”  Steve walked to around the front of the race car and sat opposite of Danny.

Danny reached out and brushed the hair out of Charlie’s eyes.  “Are you doing okay? You’ve had a really hard day.”

Charlie glanced from his father to Steve and back again.  “Is the bad man really in jail, Danno?”

“Yes, Charlie. Uncle Chin, Aunt Kono, and Uncle Lou found him and arrested him and he’s not going to be able to hurt you, Grace or Davey, or anybody else ever again.  I promise.”

“Good.  He was really scary and mean.”

“You don’t have to worry about him anymore,” his father reassured him.

Steve reached out and brushed Charlie’s hair back just as Danny had done earlier. “You know, Charlie, Danno and I are real proud of what you did today, trying to stop the bad man from taking your friend.”

“I wasn’t strong enough to stop him, but Grace was. Davey’s okay, right?”

“Davey’s fine,” Steve told the boy. “Uncle Chin saw him and he told me that all Davey had was a skinned knee, not even as bad as yours.  And, don’t think for one minute that you weren’t strong enough to help Davey.  You slowed the bad man down long enough that Grace had time to get there.  You two were a team.”

“Like you and Danno?”

“Yeah, like me and Danno.”  Steve glanced at his partner and saw his soft smile and damp eyes.  “You know what else? Uncle Chin said Davey and his parents wanted to come by tomorrow to see you and Grace to thank you for helping him.”

“Really?  Davey’s going to come over?” He looked over at his father to make sure his uncle was telling him the truth.

“If you want him to,” Danny told him.

“Uh-huh, Davey’s just about my best friend and he hasn’t seen my new room yet.  He said I was real lucky to have a race car bed and live on the beach.”

“Well then, we’ll definitely invite him over.”

Charlie grinned and closed his eyes.  Ah, the resilience of youth, Steve thought.  He really hoped Charlie wasn’t traumatized by the day’s events.  Danny’s son was pure innocence and just being around him helped brighten the dark corners of Steve’s soul and he knew the boy did the same for Danny. 

**********************

Once Charlie was asleep, Steve left Danny sitting next to his son – “I just need to sit here and watch him sleep for a few more minutes” – while he returned to the living room where Grace was still lying on the couch.  She had her phone out, undoubtedly texting Will.  Not an easy feat with her right hand in a cast.  He didn’t understand why they didn’t just call each other and talk. Caught up in her text conversation Grace ignored him as he walked over and gently lifted her legs, careful not to cause her pain.  He sat down and rested her legs on his lap.

He watched her for a few minutes and was suddenly overwhelmed.  He’d kept his emotions in check for hours, ever since taking the phone call meant for Danny, and suddenly they just came pouring out of him. He didn’t even realize he was crying until he heard Grace’s voice. 

“I'm sorry I made you cry, Uncle Steve,” she said quietly.

Steve wiped his eyes with the heels of his hands. “Hey, hey, not your fault, I didn't mean to break down like that.”

“I’ve never seen you cry before.” She looked at him as if she couldn't quite believe what she’d just witnessed.

“Yeah, well, I've never almost lost a kid before. It all just hit me at once, I guess.”

“I’m going to be okay.  They didn’t even keep me in the hospital overnight.”  Phone abandoned in her lap, she looked at him like she’d do anything to make him feel better.

That girl, Steve thought, there she was battered and bruised and she was trying to comfort him. He didn’t know what he had done to deserve this family. He gave her foot a little squeeze. “I know,” he told her. “And, a large part of those tears were relief that you weren’t more seriously injured or even killed. But, as your father explained to me earlier tonight, when your kid hurts, you hurt.  Danno and I wish we could keep you and your brother safe all the time, protect you from all the bad things in the world, but we know that’s not possible and that scares the hell out of both of us.  Your father, though, has had more experience; this is all still pretty new to me.”

He hoped Grace and Charlie knew how much he loved them, that even though they weren’t really his children, he loved them as if they were. And, fathers, even honorary ones, were supposed to protect their children.  He knew it was irrational, but he felt like he hadn’t done his job somehow, that he’d let Grace and Charlie down.

“I love you, Uncle Steve and you’re doing great. Thanks for caring about me and Charlie the way you do.  You’ve always been there for us and I’m really happy you and Danno finally got together.  It feels like we’ve become a real family.”

He let out a sound that was half-way between a laugh and a sob. "God, Grace, I love you and your brother so much. You’re an amazing kid and I couldn’t be prouder of the way you’ve handled all of this. I’m not just talking about saving Davey either, although, despite what you might think, not everyone would have done what you did.  A lot of people would have either been frozen in fear or simply been unwilling to risk getting involved. You had the courage to risk yourself to save a life, and that is something to be proud of. But, what has impressed me just as much is the way you’ve handled everything since.  The way you looked after Charlie and made sure he stayed with you, the way one of the first things you did when your dad and I got there was to ask about Davey, and how you’ve barely complained once even though I know how much pain you must be in.

“Thanks, but I’m still pretty doped up, I'll probably complain a lot more once the pain meds wear off.”

He barked out a laugh. Grace continued to amaze him. How she could make jokes when he knew she was hurting was beyond him. 

“Seriously though, I didn't even think when I saw what was happing, I just acted.  I don't know how what I did was so brave when I just acted on instinct.”

“Were you scared when it was happening?” he asked her.

“Oh yeah, I was terrified that I wouldn’t be able to stop that man from taking Davey. Then he pushed Charlie down and I knew I had to help him too because he was crying.

“But were you scared for yourself? That you might be hurt?”

“Yes, I guess so.  I was worried the man might have a gun or something, but it all happened so fast and I knew I had to try and help Davey. Once I pulled him out of the van, I was scared the guy might jump out of the van and try again or that he might take off and hit me or Davey.  I tried to step back as fast as I could, but I got caught when he took off.  I think my backpack got snagged on something.”

“Grace, what you just described is the very definition of courage.  If you’re not scared, you don’t need to be brave.  Bravery is when you do something despite being afraid.” In the Navy he'd seen reckless kids who ran into danger without considering the risks, and he'd seen SEALS who ran into danger to save someone else despite the risks.  The reckless ones were the ones who usually ended up needing to be saved themselves.

“Steve’s right, monkey, what you did took a lot of courage. We are really proud of you.”  Danny walked over and sat down on the coffee table facing the two people on the couch.

“How long have you been eavesdropping?” Steve asked.  He had been so focused and Grace that he had not even noticed Danny enter the room. 

“Long enough to remember why I love you.”  The look Danny gave Steve melted away any self-consciousness he felt from having his partner overhear his and Grace’s conversation.  It was a look that said you are amazing and I love you. Steve returned the look with a smile of his own that he hoped said thank you for giving me this family.    

“Come on you two, I’m in too much pain to watch you make goo-goo eyes at each other.”

“Live with it.” Danny told his daughter before leaning forward to give her a kiss on the forehead.  Then he gave Steve one on the lips.

“What did I just say?” but she was smiling so Steve knew she wasn’t serious.

“Gracie, everything Steve just said is one hundred and ten percent accurate.”

“It’s impossible for anything to be more than 100 percent accurate,” Steve felt it was his duty to point out.  Plus, he knew doing so would evoke exasperated groans from both Danny and Grace and lighten the mood. After all, this was not the first time Steve had pointed out this particular fundamental error.

“Zip-it, Mr. Math and Science, I was explaining something very important to my daughter.” Danny turned back to Grace.  “As I was saying, monkey, what you did today was very brave and not something most people would have done.  I am very proud of you.  You have grown into a remarkable young woman.”

“I remember what it was like when Rick Peterson took me and I’m glad I was able to keep that from happening to Davey.”

“Me too, monkey. Me too.”  Steve could see the pain that memory brought to Danny’s eyes. What he’d been forced to do to get Grace back when Peterson took her was one more thing that weighed on Danny’s conscience, but it was the terror that he could have lost his daughter that kept him up at night.

“Hey, it’s getting late,” Steve told them, “and it’s just about time for more pain meds.  How about you head to your room, Grace, and I’ll bring you your pills and a glass of water.” Steve watched while Danny helped his daughter up and escorted her to her room.  Then he turned and went to the kitchen.  He’d give them a few minutes alone before following with the promised water and medication.

***********************************

Later that night, Steve and Danny were finally in bed. They were both exhausted due to the emotional toll of the day, but neither had managed to actually fall asleep.

“Babe?”

“Yeah, Danno?”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. For what?”

Danny rolled to his side and propped himself up on an elbow.  The moon provided enough light that Steve could just make out his face.  “For loving my kids, being there for them, being there for me…. I don’t know if I could have gotten through today with my sanity intact without you.”

Steve reached up and cupped Danny’s cheek, his thumb catching the single tear that had escaped and settled there. “Danny, Grace and Charlie are a part of you, so of course I love them, but it’s more than that, I love them for themselves as well.  They are amazing. What they did today, that’s a testament to you, but it shows their character too. And, as hard as today was, there is absolutely nothing that could have kept me from being there for all of you.  You gave me a family, Danny, and that is a gift I will always cherish.”

Danny leaned over and placed his lips on Steve’s.  It was a kiss meant to convey everything that, for once, Danny could not put into words.  When they parted, Danny put his head back on his own pillow, but his hand found Steve’s. 

“I love this … falling asleep next to you.  In the dark like this, when the world is out there and it’s just the two of us, I feel like this is when I get to see the real you.  Not the Navy SEAL, or the head of Five-0, and certainly not the Neanderthal animal you often are, not even my best friend.  Here, we’re just Steve and Danny, there are no walls or guarded emotions, we really talk to each other and more importantly we listen.  I’ve never had this before and it’s the main reason I know this relationship is going to last.  And, believing that makes all the difference.”    

“I’ve never had this before either.  I’ve certainly never shared my true feelings with anyone before. But, with you, I find myself actually wanting to share things and talk things through.  It’s strange how not-weird that seems to me.”  Steve squeezed Danny’s hand where it was still clasped in his.  “I never want us to lose this and I promise that I will give one hundred and ten percent to make sure we don’t. 

“One hundred and ten percent, huh?  Not just one hundred percent?”

“Nope.  You, Grace, and Charlie mean the world to me and if it takes a one hundred and ten percent effort to keep my family, then I’ll figure out a way to defy that fundamental law. Now go to sleep, we have another long day tomorrow.” Steve closed his eyes and let the tension of the day seep out.  Danny was next to him and the kids were safe, if a bit battered, in their rooms.  He had his family around him. Whatever came tomorrow; they would get through it together.

“Goodnight, Steve.” 

Steve’s only response was the even breathing of a man fast asleep. 

_End._

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading.


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